Half-tone negative.



No.'675,272. Patented May 28, I90l. 7r. s.;rox.

HALF TONE NEGATI VE.

(Application fllad Apr. 97, 1900.)

(In Iodel.)

, WITNESSES //v v'/v 70/? mar/M0611?- ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PAT NT FrIcE.

THOMAS FOX, OF BROOKLYN, NE\V YORK.

HALF-TONE NEGATIVE.

SPEGJIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 675,272, dated May 28, 1901 Application filed April 27, 190 Serial No. 14,602- (No model.)

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS S. FOX, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn,. in the county of Kings and State of New York,

have invented a new and Im-provedHalf-Tone I desired part to permit of producing a final print of high quality, especially in the high lights of thesubject.

The invention consists of a half-tone negative having reinforced portions in the shape of opaque lines, dots, stipples, or the like. i

It is understood that the termfhalf-tone negative means a negative that has been broken by the intervention of a ha'lf-tone screen into opaque lines, dots, stipples, grain, the. having transparent openings between the lines, dots, stipples, grain, &c. In the halftone negative the same texture pervades all partst'. e., according to the texture of the half-tone screen" used-and in order to give difiierent texture to difierent parts it has heretofore been the practice to engrave by hand or rule by a machine line by line or dot by dot into the etched plate.

To avoid a large part of the hand or rule work, which is slow and expensive, I provide the method presently to be described in detail, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthe specification, and in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a face view ofan ordinary halftone negative. Fig. -2 is a like View of the same with a portion stopped out, and Fig. 3 is a similar view of the same with the nonstopped-out portions reinforced. I

An ordinary half-tone negative A (see Fig. 1) of the subject to be reproduced is first prepared in the usual manner and then coated. with a transparent varnish, after which that portion'of the film of the negative which is,

not to be reinforced or changed is preferably stopped out with gum or other substance B,

laid over the varnish coating at such portion of the negative film. A flexible printing,

film-such, for instance, as shown and described in Letters Patent of the United States -No. 214,493, granted to B. Day on April 22,

1879, and known as the .Day film-is then inked inthe usual manner and placed over the varnished film on the negative and pressed down upon the portions not stopped out, so as to make an impression by printing dots, lines, or stipples O uponthe surface of the negative film atthe portion not stopped out by thegum.

This impression reinforces the dots or lines.

already on the negative film. The Day film is then removed and the gum at the stoppedout portions is now washed off. With the gum pass any -ink dots or lines that may have accidentally been imprinted on the gum upon pressingthe inked Dayfilm, as above described. The negative plate is now dried and then black lead or bronze orother powder is applied on the film on the negative plate either bythe use of a camelishair brush or by dusting it on thefilm, the powder being readily absorbed by the ink dots or lines of the impression. made by the Day film to give morebody to the ink and render the dots or lines thereof opaque. The plate thus prepared is now ready for printingor for making printing-plates in the usual way.

From the foregoing itris evident that the impression made by the Day film on the negative plate'may or may notregister with the dots or lines alreadyon the plate-film. If the dots or lines of the impression intersect the dotsor linesalr'eady on the relief negative plate, then a variegated but exceedingly strong effect is had in the final print, it being understood that the reinforced portions. of the negative plate produce extremely high lights in the final print.

By makingan impression with the Day film, as described, a portion of the dots, lines, 'or grain already on the relief negative is deadened to such an extent as to form in the final print clear white spaces, half-tones, and all gradations ofthe copy or subject at the portion not stopped out. Ordinarily the impres- I sion does not register with the relief dots, lines, or grains already on the negative plate,

and hence in the final printthe clear spaces appear in rows crossing the dots and lines between the dots at angles.

It is not necessary to use varnish, as the negative film may bemounted upon a celluloid or other thin transparent support, and the reinforcing can bedone on the side opposite the film or a thin transparent film may to bereinfo'rced, as. a skilled operator can make the inkimpression on the portion to be reinforced without making. 'an undesirable impression on the part not to be reinforced. "Thestoppi ng'out by'the'use of gum,'as above stated, positively prevents,however,suchunQ .desirable ink impression'q'onparts' not -to be reinforced. f

be laid upon the negativeand made to adhere thereto and serve as a protection to the negative film, and upon this additional film thework of reinforcing may be done. It isalso.

not absolutely necessary to use a Day film, as

other means may be employed to make the desired impression on the portion or portions to bereinforced. For instance, an inkingr'ollerwith a lined, stippled, dotted, or grained surface may be'employed or a piece of ribbedv material, such as silk or satinjmay be used .asthe inking medium. I .It is also notabsolutely necessary. to stop out the portion not Having. th'usrfullydescribed myinv ention,1 I claimas new and desireto secure by Letters' P at ent p a 1. As a new articleof manufacture, ahalfg tone negative'ha'vin'g ink impressions, in the pose .set forth.

form ofdots or lines, overlying a portifon of- -thedots or lines thereof, as and-for. the pur- 2. As a newarticle or manu acture, a tan".

tone negative havingdots,flin'es, stipple,.or grain printed .on a portion of the same, over.

the dots, lines, stipple or grain-thereof, as set' forth.

As a new article of manufacture,' ahalf-j tone negative having an ink impression in. I

dots, lines, stipple, or grain produced on a portion of the same, over the dots, lines, stip- I ple or grain thereof, the dots, lines, stipple, I

or grain of the'impression intersecting those of the negative, as set forth. I 4. As a new article of manufacture, a half- -tone negative having an ink impression pro duced on portions of the same, the impres sion consisting of lines, dots, stipple or grain and overlying the dots, lines, stipple or grain of the negative, and an opaque substance applied to the impression, as and for the pur pose set forth. Y

5. The herein-described method of reinforc ing half-tone negatives, consisting in producing ink impressions in the form of dots, lines,

stipple or grain on portions of the negative,

same, as set forth. 4

6. The hereinrdescribed forcing halftone photon'egatives, consisting in first making an imprinttwi'th'ink in over the dots, lines, stipple,-or grain of the methodof rein fdots,

1ines,;-stipples,' grain forthe like onto the por= *tion of the negative tob'e reinforced, the im printoverlying the dots lines, stipples, grain or the likeand the'rspace between the, same I I p I '70 of'the said half-tone negativeyand thenren-f dering 'the'ink of thesaid reinforcing imprint ,opaque,.as.se't'forth. s 'Z. The:herein describedQmethod of rein- 1 1 forcing portions of a half-tonephotonegative,

consisting instopping'ontwithgum the por i -tions. n0t to be reinforced,then-making an f impression on the p'ortion to bereinforced by applying ink thereto, theln washingout the gum onthe stopped-out portion, and:fi nally applying an opaquefsubstan'ce to'theink, to

pression opaque,,as set forth. 7

presence ,of

p I P THOMAS ls. FOX-.-

'- Witnesses:

THEQ. G. HosTER, GEORGE W. PEARSALL.

In testimony whereof I have signed ,my j name to this specificationlin' the .two, subscribing witnesses.

cause the latter to absorbtheopaque;sub f Istanceand thereby: render the ink of theirn- 

